


Heads above the rest

by slothprincess



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chromedome is secretly a headmaster au, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-08-12 21:16:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7949461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slothprincess/pseuds/slothprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chromedome is a tiny robot in a big suit. Rewind can never know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Losing your head

**Author's Note:**

> An AU where being a headmaster is similar to the Magnus armor and requires only one bot.

Normally he would be going to the medbay, but Chromedome doubted even Ratchet with his extensive knowledge would be able to fix this problem. It was a problem best left to another type of expert. Instead he limped his way to the elevator and punched B-4. Few voluntarily ventured to the floor, and fewer returned. Not even Magnus’ unending campaign of cleanliness encroached upon the floor’s sole occupant.

Brainstorm’s lab had once been situated on the third floor between the ship's cafeteria and pool hall. But several explosions and a level orange quarantine had relocated it to B-4. Despite the floor's reputation, the fluorescent lights hummed cheerfully. 

As Chromedome approached the floor’s only used room, he paused. He could hear Brainstorm inside singing an old 80’s ballad. He grimaced, bot really could turn anything into a weapon. Maybe it wasn’t too late to visit Ratchet after all.

He triggered the automatic door and entered.

“Hey Chromey!” came a bright voice from inside. Brainstorm waved at him with more cheer than expected of one holding a disembodied claw.

“Yeah, don’t call me that. And I so don’t want to know.” He added, glancing toward the wayward appendage. It appeared to be leaking.

Chromedome’s injured leg gave a violent twitch as he took a deep breath and steeled himself. When it came to the scientist it was more efficient to be direct. The jet’s genius, did not extend to most social situations, unfortunately. Or any kind of social interaction really. He sighed.

“I need your help.”

“I’ll say you do.” Brainstorm replied in banter, but his eye’s betrayed an uncharacteristic seriousness. 

“It’s the headmaster armor. It was damaged in our last battle.”

\------------

Chromedome sat atop the table as Brainstorm worked. Once his weight would have collapsed it, now his legs dangled off it’s edges. It was a odd feeling, seeing what he had come to think of as his body detached from himself.

He thought of Minimus bundled up in his armor. They had to be about the same size now; the headmaster armor was remarkably similar to the Magnus suit. Once integrated it wrapped around the body like a metallic hug. All but the head. 

Someone he once knew had joked about his big head; he couldn’t remember who. Chromedome sighed again and kicked the table leg. Being outside the armor felt anxious and queasy.

“You should tell him, you know.” Brainstorm said, securing a loose bolt near the armor’s shoulder blade. “If mnemosurgery, Dominus, and frankly, your utter lack of any form of self-respect didn’t scare him off, I doubt this will either.”

“You forgot that whole affair with Prowl.” Chromedome added glumly. He had graduated from kicking to drumming the table’s surface with a spare stylus.

Brainstorm shook his head, “We all try.”

Several more clicks passed in a comfortable silence as Brainstorm repaired the empty shell. Chromedome was just about to inquire on it’s condition when a blinking red light on the terminal caught his attention.

“Hey, what’s th--” the query was answered before it left his lips.

“Chromedome, I know you’re in there!” demanded a familiar voice outside.

“Rewind!” Chromosome moaned, jumping to his feet, “What’s he doing here now?” 

“Brainstorm, quick! Hide my body!” he hissed, frantically fanning the air with his hands. If Rewind discovered him at this size, they’d both be destined a painful death. With unflattering memorial photos.

Brainstorm grabbed the headless armor around the armpits. He had half dragged, half pushed it to the spare closet by the time Chromosome realized his error.

He was stranded. The table, while quite low for an average Cybertronian, towered above the floor for someone his size. A drop from this height would certainly injure him. Rewind was only seconds away, and he was out of options. The automatic door opened with a lurch.

\------------

“Chromedome?” Rewind scanned the lab not noticing Chromedome from his perch.

Of course! Rewind would be searching for a bot four times his size. It wouldn’t occur to him to take a second glance on a counter top. At this angle he probably couldn’t even see over it to begin with. Maybe, somehow he would get through this unscathed after all. Chromedome crouched low, peering over the hard edge.

Rewind had his back to him, distracted by Brainstorm. Distracted by Brainstorm trying to cram something into a closet. Something that looked suspiciously like his headless corpse. 

Slag.

“Brainstorm-?” Rewind asked, eyes widening, “What is that?”

Brainstorm yipped in surprise. At the same time a cacophony of sound imploded from the storage closet. The armor slipped from his grasp and dashed upon the tiles. Loose rivets and plates rolled across the floor, a leg detached.

Rewind mouthed wordlessly, looking down at the lifeless, headless frame of his conjux.

“R-rewind, I can explain!” Brainstorm cried, attempting his best to shield his face.

The last time Chromedome had seen Brainstorm this nervous, he’d been trying to convince the council that his interplanetary GPS, functioned as an acid gun by sheer accident. Accidental his aft.

Still he didn’t want to be responsible for Brainstorm’s maiming, which seemed to be where their very one-sided conversation was heading quickly.

“Rewind, I’m over here.” he said, standing up.

Time stood still. Chromedome had expected Rewind to be apoplectic, barraging him with questions and angry accusations. Instead he was met with more stunned silence and a burning sense of guilt.

A detached thought struck him as funny. Even when they were the same size, Rewind still had to look up at him. Funny then, that it felt like he was the one being looked down upon.

“I was going to tell you. I really was.”

Rewind gave him an even look. Despite his partner’s mask, Chromedome usually had an impeccable insight into Rewind’s moods. Now he felt arctic nothing.

Without saying anything the cassette turned on his heel and left.


	2. Getting ahead

Rewind stalked out the elevator in a flurry of furor, bowling down poor Minimus and his stack of data pads. He was around the corner and out of sight before the smaller bot even had time to react.

\------------

“Slag, it all,” cursed Chromedome, jabbing the elevator call button impatiently. He must have just missed it.

“C’mon, c’mon!” he tapped his foot in aggravation. Not only would he be royally pissed if somebody else called the elevator first. Not to mention he would be totally out of luck catching up to him by the time it reached his floor again.

Ding!

The doors hadn't even fully opened, before he was squeezing himself inside, stabbing the floor 13 button. The elevator began it’s ascent with a whir and stutter. He could only hope Rewind was heading where he thought. If not, Rewind’s list of possible destinations would be incalculable even to Perceptor.

Chromedome rest his head against the metallic wall with a thunk. This was taking too long. Giving him too much time to think. 

Maybe this was how it was supposed to end. Rewind wouldn’t leave him for the impossible built-up fantasy that was Dominus like he always supposed. Rewind would leave him for his cowardice and lies. How like himself to ruin a good thing.

No. He couldn’t give up. Not this time. He had now, an opportunity to fix this. They’d been through so much, this couldn’t be what broke them. He wouldn’t let it. No matter what. With his determination regained the remainder of the ride passed swiftly.

Finally the floor light lit up and the doors clunked open with a merry ding. Chromedome leapt out and right into Minimus.

“Really now! What is the mean-”

He shoved past the mustachioed bot, sending him whirling and his data pads smashing to the ground. Chromedome flinched; those looked alphabetized.

“Sorry, Mags,” he called over his shoulder, not stopping, “I’ll make it up to you later, I promise!”

\------------

He found Rewind outside the ship’s hull, his back turned to the ship, gazing out at empty galaxies. It was a familiar sight.

For their 411th anniversary, Chromedome had gotten him a data pad with the multicultural mythology and star numeration for every constellation in the known galaxies. It had cost quite the majority of several week’s pay stubs. Rewind had torn through it furiously for seven clicks, looked into the sky with a burning intensity, and remarked how much Ollam Capulus looked like Prowl tripping over a speed bump at full speed. 

Chromedome watched him from the observation window for some time before strapping on his mag locks and tether, and opening the emergency hatch. The screech of the emergency hatch’s hinges spiraling open must have alerted Rewind to his presence, but he made no acknowledgements.

“Did you properly fasten your tether?” Chromedome asked, ever the expert ice-breaker, pointing towards the other bot’s waist, “I don’t want you floating away. Swerve swears one time he didn’t, and he ended up drifting half-way to Mars before Ten even noticed him missing.” He cocked his head, “Although now that I think of it, maybe that isn’t the best example.” 

Great, now he was babbling.

“I don’t care,” Rewind huffed, oblivious to Chromedome’s inner turmoil, “maybe that’s what I want.” he said, turning his face away. Chromedome couldn’t stop the small smile behind his mask, Rewind always got pouty in private. He was so cute.

“I feel betrayed, Tumbler, okay. We’ve been together how many eons? And you couldn’t tell me? Did you, what, not trust me? I don’t understand. Help me understand.”

Chromedome winced, using his real name. Not a great sign.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” and then so low his audible’s barely registered, “Why didn’t Dominus?”

Chromedome’s heart sank, “Rewind, please believe me, I never meant to hurt you. The headmaster armor was so much a part of who I was, it didn’t even occur to me that it wasn’t. Not technically, And then after finding out about Dominus...” he trailed off. “You were so broken up about him. I didn’t want to hurt you anymore.”

“ And, okay, I didn’t want to hurt me. I knew you’d get upset and it just became easier, to not to.” He added, face burning.

Rewind sneered, “Did Prowl know?”

“What, no! Why would I tell him that? Rewind.”Chromedome drew a breath, his partner was just angry and lashing out.

“I can’t speak for Dominus, but if his armor was anything like mine, I speak from experience when I say, he probably forgot he was even wearing it. No intentional deception. It integrates with you so fully, you don’t even realize, and then you stop thinking of it as being separate, it becomes a part of you.”

He planted a chaste kiss on the other bots forehead, “Don’t let this doubt his love for you, and never let it doubt mine.” 

Rewind clenched a fist, but didn’t push him away and after a pregnant pause he seemed to make up his mind.

“Thanks Domey, that does makes me feel a little better,” he wiped away the fluid remnants of a tear from his optics and continued, “but it still really smarts! Of course, I’m angry you lied, but seeing your lifeless corpse in Brainstorm’s lab. I really thought he had killed you in some sort of freak accident! I thought you’d left me alone again.”

“I’d never leave you, Rewind.”

“And?” His fear and terror morphed into something more akin to tee’d off.

“And I promise to never keep something this big from you again.”

Rewind exhaled deeply allowing his tension to drain from his shoulders, “You do realize how much simpler it would have been? Telling me this up front, right?” Chromedome had the grace to look sheepish. Rewind burnt high, but fast, getting this out of his system could only be beneficial in the long run, even if it was embarrassing.

“We spent so much time figuring out how to adjust to our size differences, calibrating walking gaits, how to sleep without you crushing me! Slag, picking out a berth one of us doesn’t have to use a step ladder to get into would have been nice!” he added pointedly.

Chromedome laughed, “Do you remember our holiday in Prammen?”

“With the aqua-berths?” if he was surprised by the sudden change of topic, Rewind didn’t show it, “How could I forget? The night-clerk still sends me those ugly little Creation Day cards!”

A tiny hand reached towards another, enveloping it.

“I forgive you. But just to be clear this is your only secret, right?” Rewind glanced at him, clambering into his lap, “Because if I find out later, you’re also secretly some sort of turbo-raptor or...or” Rewind trailed off.

“It is most definitely my only secret.” Chromedome replied, resting his head on Rewind’s shoulder with a content sigh.

He could get used to this sam size business. He’d never realized how much extra space the armor put between them. They sat hand-in-hand amidst the constellations in a familiar quiet comfort.

“Hey, Domey?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I be the one to tell Prowl? I think it would kill him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chromedome and Rewind shit-talking Prowl is probs my lifeblood.
> 
> Thank you everyone for comments on ch1, I might not know what to say to them but they're appreciated :D


End file.
